1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the construction of buildings, and in particular to an improved method of constructing a high-rise or multi-storey building utilizing prefabricated steel panels, and a building made according to this method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While the use of prefabricated metal panels is known in the prior art, such panels have been limited in their applications to use in the construction of residential or low-rise commercial buildings. Such constructions have been known in the construction industry for several years, but have not been adopted in the construction industry today as being a feasible method of constructing high-rise building structures.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 2,076,728 to Keller discloses the use of prefabricated metal structural units which can be transported to the job site, together with a prefabricated floor and roof units, to be erected into a residential type building. This patent, however, does not disclose the direct connection between vertically adjacent panels, but rather utilizes a complicated three-way connection between the vertically adjacent panels and a superimposed prefabricated floor structure situated therebetween. Such a building structure does not provide a shear wall type of construction which is essential today in wall structures utilized for high-rise or multi-storey buildings. By shear wall type, it is meant a construction which will resist lateral forces as well as vertical load bearing. As a result, the structure according to this patent does not provide an effective continuous stiff wall-type of structure from the foundation to the top of the building and could not, therefore, meet the structural requirements associated with wall structures utilized in high-rise construction today.
A similar type of building construction unit to the Keller building structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,191,804 to O'Malley. This patent likewise deals with frame sections which can be utilized for the wall partitions, or other parts of a dwelling house, or other small buildings. As in the Keller patent, this disclosure likewise does not make provision for an effective stiff continuous wall structure from the foundation of the building to the top thereof, utilizing prefabricated building construction units. Both the above patents require expensive and interfering horizontal bridging and diagonal bracing between the vertical studs.
That the prior art methods of utilizing prefabricated metal panels in the erection of a building are not feasible in the construction of high-rise buildings is clearly apparent from the presently utilized methods in the construction industry today. In particular, the present methods of erecting a high-rise or multi-storey structures utilize columns extending the height of the building which are of poured concrete construction. The floors of the building are made from poured concrete and necessitate the erection of a temporary supporting structure to permit the pouring of the concrete and to support the poured concrete in place during curing thereof. The supporting structure most frequently utilized today comprises a large number of the screw-type jacks which are spaced quite closely together, approximately 2 or 3 feet, and support layers of plywood are placed on flat plates situated at the upper end of each jack. This method of construction has a number of drawbacks which, to date, have not been overcome by any known method of constructing high-rise buildings.
One of the obvious drawbacks of the present system of erecting high-rise buildings, noted above, is the fact that the erection of the jacks and the placing thereon of the plywood supporting surface for the concrete is quite time-consuming, and in view of labour costs today, considerably increases the cost of construction of a building. Additionally, due to the close spacing of the screw-type jacks, the area in which the jacks are erected cannot be worked in until the curing of the poured concrete floor thereabove is completed. In this respect, the curing time of such a concrete floor, depending upon the thickness thereof, may be of the order of two to twelve weeks. After the curing process is completed, it is then necessary to dismantle the screw-type jacks and to remove the plywood supported thereby, further adding to the inefficiency of this process.
Additionally, the wall structures within the interior of the building are today manufactured from reinforced concrete or masonry. However, there are a number of drawbacks with the use of wall structures of this kind. In particular, in the case of prefabricated reinforced, concrete walls, handling thereof becomes a problem due to their considerable weight, and they are also subject to damage during handling due to their brittleness. On the other hand, in the case of walls made from concrete blocks at the site, construction thereof is time-consuming and, therefore, expensive. As an additional factor, such concrete block walls necessitate the use of temporary shoring to hold them in place until the floor of the next level is completed. In a situation where shoring is not used to support the masonry wall prior to completion of the floor above, the wall is subject to the varying weather conditions and can be blown over by the wind, thereby necessitating rebuilding of the wall.
A further drawback associated with reinforced concrete and masonry walls is their excessive weight. Since the foundation of the building is built in accordance with the total weight of the building, the cost of the foundation increases considerably due to the additional weight of reinforced concrete and block walls which it must support.
A further factor which detracts from the use of reinforced concrete or block walls is the necessity of heating such wall structures during the winter-time construction thereof in order to permit the proper curing of the concrete or mortar. Certainly, this problem becomes more pronounced in colder climates and adds to the construction of the building which is taking place during the winter months. Proper curing of the concrete or mortar used in the reinforced concrete or block walls is effected by placing tarpaulins around the concrete or masonry block walls and subjecting the same to heat from a temporary source of heat for a period of three to four days during the curing of the mortar or concrete. As well, erection of such walls necessitates the use of skilled labour.